Railway vehicle



Jan. 30, 1945. A, w BRUCE 2,368,590

RAILWAY VEHICLE Filed May 26, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Al red W. Bruce Jan. 30. 1945. I A. w. BRUCE RAILWAY VEHICLE Filed ma as, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllll ihill jlllllly M/ l I 0 I M 1 INVENTOR. Al red WBruce ATT NEY Patented Jan. 30, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE RAILWAY vamcrln Alfred W. Bruce, New York, N. Y., assignor to American Locomotive Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 26, 1943, Serial No. 488,542 1 Claim. (Cl. 105-189) 'ing characteristic preventing the superstructure from being. lifted during the operation of the device, but exerting an advantageous upward force on the superstructure during the relative lateral movements between the superstructure and truck from and to their normal centralized position. Other and further objects of this invention will appear from the followingdescription, the accompanying drawings and the appended claim.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is, at the left, a side elevation, and at the right, a section on thepline II of Fig. 2, of a portion of a railway vehicle, including a truck and a portion of the vehicle superstructure, parts being indicated in dot-dash lines; Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-H of ,Fig. 1, parts being shown in full and parts being omitted; Fig. 3 is asection on the line III III of Fig. 1, parts being shown in full and parts being broken away; Fig. 4 is a view similartoFigLJi showing a lateral motion position between the truck and center plate, only a portion ofythe structure of Fig. 3 being shown; Fig. 5 isa plan view of the spring plate; Fig. 6 is a section on the line VIVI of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an isometric view of a rocker; and Fig. 8 is an isometric view of a center late.

It is common practice to equip railway cars" and locomotives with lateral motion resistancev and centering devices. These devices are disposed at various positions. In the case of locomotivegior instance, the device is sometimes disposedgibe tween the trailing truck and the superstructure, and sometimes between the leading truckand superstructure. "I

The truckand superstructure are designed to hav relative lateral movement from and to-normal centralized position, and the device is constructed to ofier resistance to the relative movemnt from, and to afford assistance to the rela- .tive movement to, the normal centralized posi-, ti on. This is particularly advantageous inpassnumeral 5.

ing from tangent to and through curved track and back to tangent track. The device alsoacts to steady the truck and superstructure, helping tomaintain their centralized position when running on tangent'track.

A commontype of railway vehicle comprises a superstructure having an underframe provided with a center pin and a center plate for connection with a truck, as for instance the leading truck of a locomotive, permitting the truck to turn relative to the underframe. While thelateral motion resistance and centering device oi the present invention is not limited to any particular location, it is of specialapplication to the center pin-center plate type of vehicle, and for the purpose of illustration it is. designed in the present instance for such application and is shown in connection with. a four-wheel leading truck. Y I The truck, except as modified forits adaptation to the present invention, is conventional, anca therefore, to this extent, it will be briefly described, and for convenience of description the center pin, center plate andconnecting bolt will be considered as part of the superstructureof In Fig. 2 only the portion of the truck and associated parts at one side of the longitudinalcenter line is shown, but it will be understood that the portion of the truck and associated parts Y on the other side of the longitudinal center line are similar. The only parts of the superstructure shown, referring to the figures generally, are the underframe I, shownfragmentally, the center pin 2, the center plate 3, and the connecting bolt 4. Except for the center plate, these parts are shown in dot and dash lines. f

The truck is of the four-wheel outside journal type and is indicated generally by the reference It comprises an integral framet havingside members I and a bolster 8. The side members are hollow and are provided at their ends" with pedestal jaws for journal boxes 9. The truck further comprises axles l0 having journals housed in the journal boxes, wheels I I, equalizers I2 supported at their ends upon the' journal boxes, and leaf springs l3 supporting the side members and supported by the equalizers by means of hangers l4.

The bolster 8 comprisesspaced hollow cross members I5 extending transversely of the truck and connecting the side members 1, their hollow interiors communicating with the hollow interiors of the side members. The bolster further members l and the side members 1 providing therewith a chamber I'l open at the top as at I8.

The cross members I5 are of considerable depth v The lateral motion resistance andcentering-11;:

Various types device comprises spring means.

of springs may be employed. In the present inv stance coil springs 20, preferably under relatively small initial compression, are employed. There are eight of these springs which are housed in the chamber I1 and are supportedon theseat I6.

one seated within each of the ring b0sses'I9.

A spring plate 2| is supported upon the springs 1 freely between the cross members I5 and four lugs22' extending inwardly from'th'e'cro'ss members. I5, one at each corner portion of the plate. The cross members l5 and lugs 22 provide guides forthe plate in its up anddcwnmovement aswill e e n 'e l Th plate 2| is best seen in Figs. 5- and 6.

Aroundthe' upper end of each spring to retain it from lateral movement is a circular ring boss 23 which is'formed on the lower face of the plate2'I and'which' is opposite and similar to a corresponding boss I9 on the seat Hi. There are four springs at each side of the chamber and arranged tw'oat each corner so that the plate 2I"will be uniformly supported. I i I H While the device is adapted for various types bilateral motion resistance and centeiingmembers, thetype employed in thep'resent instance is that commonly termed a rocker. The rocker has the characteristic of rocking or turning in oppo site directions during itsoperation; but various other types, involving'this characteristic of turn ing in opposite directions, -may be emplaye'd. There is a rocker 24 at each side of the longitudinal center line of the truck and as they are H similar a' description of one will suffice.

Therocker is best shown in Fig. 7. -The rocker is an integral structure comprising two similar rocker elements 25-connected by a hollow bar 26 triangular in cross section, Centrally disposed on this bar is an upstanding arm 21. Each element at its lower side has a pair of legs 28 having cylindrically shaped bearing'faces 29 having an'axis a and 29' having an axisb. The legs are equally spaced from opposite sides of the var;-

'ticaltransverse central plane ofthe element.

The other two sides of the 'elem"en t*are cylin dric'jally shaped providing curved faces 3lland-30 which unite in'the aforesaid vertical plane," the union being indicated at c, the face 30 having its" b; y r

A rocker is disposed overand symmetrically with each of the groups o'ffo'ur'springsat there'- spective sides of the longitudinalyerti'cal central plane of the truck'. 5 I-he plate --2 I- is provided on its upper face "-with"' eightcylindrically shaped sockets serving as seats 3'I,-'one for-'each- 'ofth'e legs 28, and being of a curvature substantially similar to the lcurvature 0f the faces- 29 29.

The rockers are supported 'by-the platewith their legs in these's'e'a'ts.

axis at d, and the face 30 having' its' axis faces '34 provide seats forthe faces 3ll30 to roll upon when the element rocks-pr -turns.

' The .plate member 32 is-furtherprovided at its bottom face with lugs 35, one for each of the arms 21. Each lug is spaced inwardly from and in transverse alignment with its corresponding --arm-21 and is connected thereto by a pair of links 36 pivoted at their ends to the lug and arm, one

at each side thereof. The links insure positive rocking or turning-of the rocker 24.

, The plate member 32 has opposite marginal portions 31 which extend transversely of the truck, resting upon the top faces of the cross members I5 forsupporting the center plate and consequently the superstructure {through the center pin "2. Inwardlyh'of the marginal portiohslth center plate 3 is provided with oppositef-walls 3 '8 depending froin' theplate lne lrlb eh 32," one adj acent ea'ch of the-inner races [of-the cros s' 'menfbers' I5 and in" sliding eng'ageinent therewith, permitting lateral movement between thebenter plate and truck. The'truck,"adjacent each'of the marginal portions 31, isprovided arm '39 upon which is bolted a plate :40 which overlaps the adjacent marginal portion 31, plates 4ll'hold ing the center plate and truck together but perfmitting the aforesaid relative sliding movements. The center plate is further provided'with oppofsite walls 4| uepenaingrrom the plate member 32 and extending longitudinally of the truck conriectin'g'the walls 38. -"O'utwa'rdly'beyond thewalls his ' The 'cente r 'plate'3 is-best' shown in-lli'g; 8! It is of integral: formationand comprises a plate member '32. The plate membe at itsbo'ttor'niface is";provided with cams 33, one opposite each' of 4| the truck is'provided with l ongitudinally ex tending walls 42 formed integral with the side members I and connecting thelcross'me'mbers I 5. "They provide'stop-"abutments' for the walls 4| limiting the relative lateral'movement between the 'centerplate (superstructure) aridtruck; I

The center pin '2 is of usual construction com prising a cylindrical pin 43 having-j a circumferf- .ential flange '44 which is secured to the underframe I in the usual manner (not shown). I The center plate'is provided witha centrally disposed flange 45'providi'nga circular-socket in which the pin 43 extends, the pin'seatingupon the plate'member 32 for support thereby, superstructurethusbeing supported on the centerlplate.'- The center 'pin'arid center plate/are provided with aligned orifices through 'whi ch the b lt t passes, "the pin -having a -hollow portion '46 'iii which-the bolt fhead: is disposed; Ai slot 4T fo'rmed i'n'the bottom wall of the-bolster and 'ex'- t'ends in a direction transversely of the truck. The bolt 4 extends through this shot and-has a nut 48'secured thereon" spaced somewhat below the slot and overriding the bolster bottom-wall. at e'a'chside of thslot -the width fof the slot being substantially equal to the diameter nf-the boltJ-fih bolt being" for holding-the truck" to the superstructure, all'oWi-rig 'howevr's'l'ight er-ti play,::-all 'in.the usual manner.

. Fig. 3 shows the various parts in' th'eirno'mal the center'plate-and true'h' a's rerun-stance wliefi the center plate moves toward the left (Fig. 3), the face 30 rolls upon the corresponding face 34, the bearing face 29 acts as a pivot and the bearing face 29 lifts from its seat 3|. All of the rocker elements 25 operate simultaneously in a similar manner, which results in compressing or energizing the springs 20 with a consequent corresponding resistance to such movement, the cornpression and resistance increasing as the lateral movement increases in extent.

When the center plate is returning to the ,cen-

tralized position the rocker elements are returning to their normal positions and the springs are becoming deenergized, thereby assisting in the return movement to centralized position, the springs offering less resistance as their deenergization proceeds. Therefore in the normal position of the parts as shown in Fig 3 the springs offer relatively slight resistance. This assists in maintaining the center plate (superstructure) and truck in their normal centralized position when travelling on tangent track, but facilitating easy riding.

Fig. 4 shows the position of the parts at extreme relative lateral movement during the aforesaid operation from centralized position, this movement-being terminated upon the wall 4| at the left coming into engagement with the corresponding wall 42 as shown.

In an obvious manner the device operates similarly when the lateral movement of the center plate from centralized and to centralized position are in the opposite directions except of course here it is the engagement of the faces 30' with their corresponding faces 34, and the turning is about the faces 29, the faces 29 liftin from their seats 3|.

It will be noted that there is sliding engagement between the marginal portions 31 of the center plate and truck bolster cross members l5 during relative lateral movement. While the springs 20 are compressed during these movements, they exert an upward pressure on the center plate which operates to place some of the weight of the superstructure upon the springs and correspondinglyrelieves this portion of the weight of the superstructure from support by the movement by reducing the friction between th portions 31 and the cross members I5.

While there has been hereinbefore described an approved embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that many and various changes and modifications in form, arrangement of parts,

and details of construction thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and that all such changes and modifications as fall. Within the scope of the appended claim are contemplated as' a part of this invention.

The invention claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a railway vehicle, the combination of a multiple axle truck having a frame; a superstructure underframe; a structure supporting said underframe including a center pin member and a center plate member disposed one above the other,

the upper of said members being rigid with said underframe and the lower of said members having an integral rigid plate seating on a rigid portion of said truck frame for support thereby and for frictional slidable lateral relative movement therebetween; and a device disposed beneath said structure comprising a bottom spring plate rigid with said truck frame, a top spring plate vertically movable relative to said truck frame, vertically disposed coil compression springs seating on said bottom plateand supporting said top plate at the corner portions thereof and lateral cross members I5, thus facilitating the sliding 

